We can use both our hole cards, one of them, or simply “play the board” if the five community cards gives us our strongest hand.

In no-limit hold’em specifically, we are always looking to make our best five-card hand from the seven total cards that are available to us: the five “board” or “community” cards dealt in the center of the table, and our two hole cards. As we just noted, some poker hands are won simply because all but one player chooses to “fold.” When this is not the case, the winner is determined by who has the strongest hand according to the list below.

Most forms of poker share a common list of hand rankings. The next section looks at the ranking of hands in no-limit hold’em. While pots can be won in no-limit hold’em without having the best hand, we still need to know what beats what. The only time hands are compared to see who has the winner is when no more betting is possible, and the hand has reached showdown. To win the pot in poker, you do not need the best hand? You can win simply because everyone else has folded.

Texas hold em poker hands